Man Pays $5,000 to Swallow a Human Toe

When it comes to drinking, a Canadian man can go toe-to-toe with just about anyone.

Last weekend, an unidentified man in the Yukon drank a shot of whiskey and intentionally swallowed a human toe in the glass. The man downed the so-called Sourtoe Cocktail, which features a toe in the glass that the drinker is supposed to merely touch with his or her lips.

Like just about anyone with a pulse, the customer simply couldn’t resist the appeal of the toe, so he ate it. After he finished, the man put $500 on the counter -- that’s the fine for swallowing the digit (hmm, we thought eating a toe was punishment enough).

The Downtown Hotel, which serves the drink, rotated two toes in the drink. It’s now upped the fine to $2,500 in order to discourage customers from eating the appendage (side note: how bad must the food be at this joint if people would consider eating human toes?).

In case you’re wondering, and you know you are, the Sourtoe Cocktail, originated in 1973 after someone found a toe believed to have been attached to a fella who transported rum. While the protocol for drinking the Sourtoe Cocktail has changed over the years, there is one rule that has remained as tight as the toes on your feet: "You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow — but the lips have gotta touch the toe."